Safety device for spring-motors



H. A. WICOFF.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I, 1920.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WIIII/IA INVENTOR WITNESS:

ATTORNEY H. A. WICOFF.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SPRING MOTORS.

Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

HAM/1|: m

UNITED STATES I HENRY A. .WICOFF, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SPRING-MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1920.

Application filed March 1,1920. Serial to. 362,469.

T 0 all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HENRY A. lVIoorr,a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Spring- Motors, of which the following is a specification.

-This invention relates to spring motors, such as are used on talking machines or in fact for any other purpose in which use is made of a spiral spring adapted to be placed under tension, and has for its object the provision of means whereby the outer end of the spring which is ordinarily secured to the spring box, may be'free to slide in case the spring is wou'ndtightly and excessive tension placed thereon which might result in breaking it.

An important and more specific object is the provision of a device of this character including an auxiliary spring of greater stiffness than the main spring disposed within the spring box or case with its ends in overlapping relation and having the outer end of the main spring connected'with the inner overlapping end whereby when the main spring is wound too tightly the auxiliary spring will be contracted slightly to permit it to slip around within the spring box.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly eflicient in use, durable in service, and a gen eral improvement in the art.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in View the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whic h Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional type of spring motor,

Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof with the cover of the spring box removed to expose the interior and showing the spring in normal position,

Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the spring wound too tightly and the auxiliary spring contracted,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View through the spring box, and

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View showlng the connection of the main spring with the auxiliary spring.

I box 1%, ratchet C, )awl D, windin Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates a conventional spring motor including a stationary spring (Y shaft 'E,

operating handle F, and pinion ir, carried by the shaft and engaging teeth on the ratchet. v The letter H designates the shaft carried by the ratchet C and to which is secured the inner end of a spiral spring I. The

above described parts are old and well known and are illustrated and descrlbed as being necessary to an understanding of my invention. Ordinarily in a spring motor of this character the outer end of the spring is secured rigidly to the box B and it is also well known that if the spring is wound too tightly it generally breaks and it is with this objection in view that the present invention has been designed.

In carrying out my invention I provide within the box B a spring 10 which is of greater stiffness than the spring I and this spring 10 consists of one and a fraction of a revolution and is arranged against the inner wall of the box B with the end 11 in overlapping relation. The innermost overlapping end 11 is cut away, as shown, to provide a tongue 12 and the outer end of the spring I is formed with an elongated slot 13 engaged upon this tongue. From this construction it will be seen that owing to the natural tendency of the spring 10 to straighten there will be considerable friction in the engagement thereof with the box 13 and this frictional contact is sufficiently strong as to hold the outer end of the spring I stationary during normal winding of the spring I through the instrumentality of the crank handle F and associated parts.

In case the operator winds the springI too tightly the excessive tension upon the outer end thereof which is connected with the auxiliary spring 10 will cause the inner overlapping end of the spring 10 to be drawn inwardly toward the center of the box which will result in contraction of the spring 10 to a sufiicient extent to release its frictional engagement with the box 10 so tachment for spring motor which will effectually safeguard the sprmg of the motor against breakage causedby excessive wind- 7 disposed outwardly of said spring andengaging against the inner wallof the box, andthe outer end of saidfirst name dspring being connected with one end of said auxiliary spring whereby upon excessive winding of said first named spring the auxiliary 7 spring will be contracted to{permit slipping thereof within the box.

2. In a spring motor, the combination with the cylindrical spring box and the spiral spring disposed therein and adapted to be placed inder tension, of an auxiliary spring disposed outwardly of said first named spring and irictionally engaging the inner wall of the box with its ends in overlapping relatiomand a connection betweenthe outer end of said f rst named spring and the inner end of said auxiliary spring.

3. In a spring motor, the combination with wall of thebox with itsendsiin overlapping relation, and a connection between the outer end of said first namedspring and/the inner end of SiLldfeL HXlllHJY sprmgnsmd connection comprising a tongue formed upon the innermost end of the ttLLXlhfdIy spr ng and engaged within an elongated opening 111 the 'oiiter end of the first named spring.

Intestimony whereof I aflix my signatnre.

HENRY A. W-ICQFF.

the cylindrical spring box and the spiral 7 spring disposed therein and adapted to be placed under tension, of an auxiliary spring disposed outwardly of said first named spring and frictionally engaging the inner 

